A Father's Knowledge
by CJFAA
Summary: Christian meets Ray at Ana's graduation, but the nature of their conversation is the least Christian and Ana expected. Two-Shot.
1. Chapter 1

**CHRISTIAN**

"A few years ago a customer of mine came to me asking for help. He asked if I knew anyone who could look into things for him, not just your average PI. Clearly the someone he needed looked into had power and money." I look at Ray bemused wondering where he's going with this. Perhaps he needs my help looking into that someone.

"Patrick had arrived at the hospital just in time to hear his daughter beg the doctors not to call the authorities as the bruises she had sustained was due to an alternate sexual lifestyle, and it was all consensual." I take a tentative step back as I feel a cold shiver run down my spine. "Patrick naturally said nothing to his daughter and came to me hoping I would know someone from my military days who could find the man who as far as he was concerned hurt his daughter, as luck would have it I did." For the first time, he gives me a look that leaves me under no illusion he is talking about me. "By the time the information arrived on my doorstep Patrick Harding was no longer interested in the information. His daughter after sustaining a broken collarbone had decided she'd had enough of the lifestyle. Patrick didn't know who the man was and didn't want to know least he did something stupid and ended up in jail. I, on the other hand, knew precisely who he was." Patricia Harding was my third sub. Any hope I had this conversation wasn't about me has firmly and truly being extinguished.

"My daughter is a very stubborn woman, and I know her well enough to know that asking her to stay well clear of you will be a waste of breath…"

"What is going on?" Ana asks eyes darting between her father and me.

"I was about to ask Mr. Grey to stay well clear of you," Ray says nonchalantly.

"When I left you two were talking about fishing what happened?" The incredulity in her voice is clear as day.

"My daughter is not going to be a sex slave for any man." He says turning his glare on her when it becomes apparent to him she already knows. "You knew and yet… Jesus, Ana are you that insecure, do you think so little of yourself that you believe this is what you deserve." She blanches at his tone. "I knew Morton got to you, got into your head… I thought you had gotten over that, after all these years you still believe the shit he spewed enough to subject yourself to him." He sneers when he says him.

"No." Her voice is barely above a whisper.

"Then what, why would you allow any man to beat you for his pleasure. Do you have any idea what you are getting yourself into? I can assure you, Ana, you know nothing about this man." He turns his glare back on me, and I swear I'm still standing because we are in a public setting.

"I brought it up thinking you were about to tell me you no longer practice the lifestyle. I'd hoped you had some decency to stay well clear of my innocent daughter knowing what you prefer but clearly I was wrong. I have no issue with what you choose to do in the privacy of your own home with like-minded individuals, but when you involve my daughter you make it my business. If you see my little girl coming, cross the road or what I know will become public knowledge, and that would be the least of your problems. You can leave now." He growls, and I hightail it out of there in fear that my secret will become common knowledge.

All these years I thought my night with Patricia had ended well considering she ended up in the hospital, I was wrong. The thought of a sub's family finding out other than they telling their parents never crossed my mind. Her father had me investigated at a time when GEH was in its infancy. I didn't have the resources to have every information about me made impossible to access. Now try to look into me and my team will know before you even begin. I had taken solace in that knowledge, I was careful and took every precaution to make sure I was never ousted; all that was in vain. The entire time my secret was in the hands of Raymond Steele. What are the chances I would be so captivated by the daughter of the one father who knew about me?

For months none of the subs Elena showed me had remotely stirred my interest, I was beginning to think I would never find a sub that appealed to me even on a minute level. Then she fell into my office, and I was gone, I felt alive again, invigorated, my interest renewed. I looked forward to showing her the pleasures my lifestyle could provide. God, the vanilla sex was above and beyond anything I expected, her talents when it came to oral was phenomenal and to think she was a complete novice.

I fish my phone out of my pocket and call Welch. "Get me everything you can on Raymond Steele." There has to be something I can do. I can't and won't give up Ana.

"Yes, sir." I hang up and stare at my phone. Am I hoping she will defy her father and call? Of course, she won't, not when it means my destruction. I decide to head back to Seattle. I call Flynn on the way hoping he would fit me in tonight. He agrees to see me after practice hours hearing the desperation in my voice.

"Have you considered giving up the lifestyle, as right now it's your only chance of getting the girl?" Flynn advises.

"It's all I know," I argue weakly.

"Didn't you just go on a tirade about how great the vanilla sex was?" He counters annoyed.

"It doesn't mean I can only do that with her." I retort angrily.

"Well, either you do or stop bleating on about her."

"You are not helping." I bark.

"I've given you my advice, which might I add it's your only obvious solution. Breaking into her father's house and getting the file on you doesn't guarantee Ana would return to you defying her father in the process. The man you say means the world to her. Her father is not the problem you are; your refusal to remotely try something else is the problem. This lifestyle of yours is keeping you prisoner and has for years. That prison of fear you've locked yourself in is slowing becoming solitary confinement. You have pushed everyone away because of it, and now the one person that has brought you alive you've lost because of it. We can talk all you want but it will do little good if you do not make a conscious effort to rid yourself of your self-imposed isolation." He stares at me waiting for me to argue his point. I have no reply, none he would like anyway.

"Raymond Steele is as clean as they get, not even a parking ticket," Welch informs me.

"What about his finances. Does he have a safety deposit box or anything remotely close?"

"No sir, nothing of the sort was indicated on the checks I did, but I can look further into it."

"Do... and get me a blueprint of his house." I grumble dismissing him with a wave.

* * *

"Hello." Her sweet voice tinged with sleep answers.

"Ana, come outside."

"What!" Within seconds, her bedroom window flies open, and she looks out.

"I'm in the SUV across the road," I say lowering the windows and waving at her.

"You can come in my mom and Bob are at some charity thing at the golf club." She says lowering the window. I practically run from the SUV to her front door.

"Christian, what are you doing here?" She asks seconds after the door opens. I can't help it and launch myself at her. She grips the back of my head and returns my kiss with equal fervor.

"I've missed you," I admit, for once I throw my reserved demeanor out the window and embrace my need for her. "How long do we have?" I ask my lips attached to her neck.

"Not long, they should be back soon." Fuck, I left it late thinking they would be asleep.

"Ana, can we talk?"

"Yes, come in." She takes my hand walking me into the living room. "If they pull up while you are still here, we can see the headlights, and you leave out the back door. Good thinking.

"If I get the information Ray has on me will you come back to me as my sub... we can continue with your training," I ask still holding on to her fingers.

"Christian, he's my father… he was there for me when my mom abandoned me after the fiasco with husband number three. Ray didn't have to come for me, but he did and put me back together. Despite what my dad thinks, I will not go against him. Let's say you do manage to get the file, and I come back to you, it will take him the second he realizes it's gone to know it's your doing. How could I possibly face him knowing I came back to you as a sub because you broke into his home and rifled through his procession. I have too much respect for him to do that… and he has a point, as much as I want you I don't want to be a sub." The first blow was enough but to know she does not want to be a sub is an added sickening feeling.

"Oh." Is all that leaves me.

"I miss you and want you, but in all honesty, I will only agree to be your sub hoping that eventually you will want more with me. What you just proposed tells me you have no inclination to try for a normal relationship. I had hoped you came to tell me you had done away with the lifestyle and wanted to try for more." She looks as dejected as I feel. Flynn was right my only chance of getting her back is to try for a more normal relationship.

"As much as I want you, we both know I can't give you what you want, and you are not what I need, your lifestyle isn't for me. I can't ask you to change for me, not that it's an option." I think she's held on because she had hoped I would change, and her father's threat would no longer be an issue. My asking her to come back as a sub has squashed that hope. "I think you should go… before my mom and Bob get's home." She stands and heads for the front door before I can say anymore. "Goodbye Christian."

"Ana…" She shuts the door before I can say anymore. I"m rooted to my spot feeling dejected as I hear her sobs on the other side of the door, but I'm soon forced to leave when I realize standing there is going to cause problems if her mother and husband find me here.

I feel numb with pain. I thought Ray was truly the issue, but I'm beginning to realize I am. I have a life that gives me the control I need, it has worked thus far, and I see no reason to make such drastic changes when I have no idea the end result. I make a conscious decision to move on from Ana. I will call Elena when I get back to Seattle and get myself a sub. Eventually, we will forget about each other... or she will forget about me when she meets a nice healthy boy who can give her the life she deserves... hearts and flowers.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been almost three weeks since I last saw Ana, the last thing I want to do is have lunch with anybody least of all my family which includes my loved up brother and his girlfriend. I miss Ana dreadfully, but I'm too fucked up to give her what she wants. The baffling part is I don't seem to find anyone else remotely attractive. I met up with Elena when I got back from Savannah… that didn't end well.

" _Christian, darling." She purrs._

" _Elena." I place a small kiss on her cheek and quickly move to sit down. "Have you got the files?" I ask eagerly._

" _This is what happens when you leave it too long between subs." She cackles as she hands over a large pile. I even opted to look over the files I had originally rejected. I'm looking for a face that immediately turns me on, followed by a very short list of hard limits, preferably, one that matches my own. The added bonus would be experience and a sub that has never safeworded. First glance at a face and I reject file after file. The faces that I find I can live with I inexplicably find their experience off-putting. The ones without experience, of course, have a long list of hard limits that just annoys me._

" _For fuck sake Christian what do you want?" Elena huffs draining her glass of wine. "What happened to the virgin?" She sneers and immediately my back is up. "Found you too much to cope with, did she? After all these years you would think you'd have learned to listen to me by now when it comes to your needs." My mistake was thinking I could confide in her about Ana. We spoke just before Ana's graduation; of course, she tried to talk me out of pursuing a BDSM relationship with Ana. Naturally she failed only for Ray to succeed._

" _Her father knew about my lifestyle and warned me to stay away from her, or else he will make his knowledge public," I tell her somberly. I look up to find a pale looking Elena staring back at me, wine abandoned._

" _How?" She chokes out._

" _Patricia Harding's father found out about her lifestyle and asked Raymond Steele to help him find someone who could investigate the man that broke his daughter's collarbone and the rest, as they say, is history."_

" _What exactly does he know?" She asks_

" _Well… it was the way he told Ana that she had no idea what she was dealing with. I got the distinct impression he knew a lot. Just before I went to Savannah, I had someone break into his house to make copies of whatever he had." I pause draining my glass. "Remember how I use to complain about the lack of security in the building Dr. Calder used to practice. Well, I was right. Whoever he hired broke into the office he had at the time and made copies of every single session I had with him. He knows about the crack whore, why I like pale brunettes, you and everything in between." The sense of security I always felt I had now has a gaping hole where anyone can get in. "Believe me, it makes me glad Flynn doesn't record our sessions," I add with a humorless chuckle._

" _Why didn't you take the file instead of just making copies?" She asks fear evident in her voice._

" _The man has a secure box with a private security company. He opened the account two weeks after I broke Patricia's collarbone. What do you think?" I bark. "You know what I've just lost my appetite." I push my seat back._

" _You couldn't just stick to what you know, you had to venture out on your own. Her father knows about you, knows about me, everything anyone would need to destroy me. You stupid son of a whore." She spits at me. "Everything I have worked for, slaved for could all be gone in a blink of an eye because you got bored of the same looking girls. It's natural, you moron for taste to change, if you weren't so fucked up you would have realized by now that it doesn't matter how many brunettes you beat, cane and whip your dead whore of a mother would not feel a thing and maybe just maybe…" I bolt up and across the room so quickly I send the chair and the table flying._

" _I'm fucked up, I'm fucked up…" the door to the private dining room opens. "GET OUT." I bellow without turning my head to see who would dare intrude. "You beat, caned and whipped a fifteen-year-old boy because your husband couldn't care less about your pussy. If I'm fucked up what are you?" I take a step back when I realize I have my fingers around her neck and slowly squeezing. "Don't worry about your precious life I'm staying well clear of Ana. You would be wise to follow my lead by staying clear of me. I will be selling my share of Esclava. You and I are done, stay away from my family and me. Don't care what you tell my mother but if she mentions your name I will tell her all about how you abused her trust and molested her fifteen-year-old son. I would spin such a tale of woe… she'd have you killed." I growl menacingly._

" _Christian… please, I panicked I didn't mean any of it. Christian plea…" Whatever else she says is drowned out when the door shuts behind me._

I have yet to tell Flynn of my final conversation with Elena… I feel like such a fool not to have seen the very thing he warned me about time and time again. Elena Lincoln is indeed not my friend she couldn't care less about my needs or me. Finding subs for me was just another way to keep her claws firmly hooked in me. I sold my share of Esclava to a chain that had intentions of overhauling Elena's entire setup. There wasn't much she could do, as my share was a far larger percentage. She wisely chose to sell her share as well. Her anger towards me translated to the rest of my family, no one cared except my mother, but she soon got over it. "Sir, we are here," Taylor informs me.

With a great deal of reluctance, I push the front door open and make my way to the living room. I hear Elliot making jokes, as usual, God, I envy him more than I care to admit. He does what he wants when he wants without fear. "Christian, dear boy… happy birthday." Mom sings getting up to lean in for a kiss. The same cheek I allowed a pedophile to kiss for years.I'm firmly in the running for worst son and sibling of the decade.

"Good to see you son," Dad adds respecting my wish to ignore this day.

"Hey, bro." Elliot greets handing me a bottle of beer. It wouldn't be my drink of choice, but now is not the time to throw his gesture back in his face. I've done that enough times… and yet he keeps making the effort.

"Christian, happy birthday," Mia calls long before she makes it to the room. "I saw your car…" Her attention is quickly diverted. "Oh Kate, how is your friend, Ana. I heard what happened…"

"What happened?" I demand.

"She was attacked by her boss Friday night while they were on a work trip in New York." Kate looks torn up, as does Elliot, who has his fist clenched.

"Is she alright?" I choke out.

"Yeah thank god Ray insisted on teaching her to defend herself. Elliot bought her pepper spray, and it came in handy." She says with a small smile.

"Came in handy, the girl emptied the can into his face and proceeded to rain hell on him," Dad says with a chuckle.

"Wait, what?" I ask confused.

"She kicked his ass and I mean kicked his ass. She incapacitated him with the spray and stormed on his cock to the point where he might lose it. He's still in New York in the ICU. He hit his head going down." Elliot chuckles.

"I'd still like to add my own brand of beating. Who the hell does he think he is putting his filthy hands on Ana? No man should ever lay a hand on a woman like that another than in a loving way." He growls, and I feel like the piece of shit I am. I wanted to beat that girl, that is not a loving way. I need to see her. I storm out of the living room with Elliot right on my tail. He gets in front of me blocking the way.

"Elliot, get out of my way." I roar.

"I can't… sorry bro she doesn't want you there. She made that clear… she's trying to move on and you turning up for any reason another than…. Well, she says you know what she wants, and since you can't give it to her it's best you two keep your distance." He informs me his voice barely above a whisper. "Any man would do anything for that girl, most are trying. I don't mean to cause you any more pain as it's clear you are in some, but there is a line of men after that girl willing to give her whatever it is you think you can't. I love you and would love nothing more than to see you with Ana so would the rest of the family. If this is about your past and issues, I suggest you knuckle down and get to work ridding yourself of them." He sighs rubbing his face. "Come have lunch with us, we can go for a few drinks after." Despite the burning need to walk out of that door and head for Ana's I know I will only anger her as I really can't tell her I will give her what she wants. She is what I need, but I'm not hers.

"You guys left her alone," I ask angered that Ana is on her own after her ordeal.

"She's not on her own." He doesn't look at me, but the thought of that photographer or any man keeping her company, comforting her makes my blood boil.

I couldn't tell you what I ate for lunch, I only heard my parents talk about Ana. My dad is representing her in case any legal issue arises from the beat down she gave her boss. According to dad, Ana in all fairness should have left the room and called for help after she incapacitated him, but her subsequent beating could be deemed excessive. I send a quick text to Barney and Welch to investigate the boss and one to Roz to initiate a takeover of SIP with immediate effect.

"E, can we meet at mine tomorrow evening. There is somewhere I have to be…"

"Chris…" he starts thinking I'm heading to Ana's

"No, I got the message loud and clear." I practically run to the car and ask Taylor to put his foot down. With it being a Saturday we arrive at my destination in an hour and a half. Elliot is right I need to knuckle down and work on my issues for myself, for Ana, and this is the place to start. "Taylor, do not exit this vehicle under any circumstance."

"Sir…" he starts.

"Taylor, stay in the goddamn vehicle." I roar. I rub my sweaty palms on my jeans as I walk towards the front porch.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet in your leg." He snarls behind me before cocking what I believe is a gun.

"Because I love your daughter, I'm in pain… not being with her is killing me… I need her more than I need my lifestyle. I can't work, sleep or do anything else, food tastes of nothing, water doesn't quench my thirst. Please, Mr. Steele, I can't go on like this when I know the answer to all my problems... my dream… is a stone throw away." With my arms in the air, I slowly turn around and face him and… his shotgun.

"Put your arms down you look like an idiot. Come on in." He grumbles. With a sigh of relief, I follow him into Ana's childhood home and believe me, you can't miss that fact. Pictures of her line the walls from infant to her graduation before I can comment I'm knocked on my ass with a punch that has me seeing stars. "That's for breaking into my home. There would be a hell of a lot more if Annie didn't assure me you have yet to lay a hand on her in the wrong way." He gives me a hand as I stand up. "I'm not thrilled with any hands on her, but I know it's inevitable." I rub my jaw knowing full well it's going to bruise badly in the next few days. "Beer." He offers and I have to say I have never been happier to have been offered a bottle of beer. Elliot calls it the bonding drink for real men; right now I'm inclined to believe him.

It's late when I make it back to Seattle and head straight for Ana's apartment. I see Elliot's truck, so I know he and Kavanagh are in. Luckily I make it to the door as a resident is leaving. With trepidation, I knock on the door going over the speech I have prepared for Ana. Honesty is the best policy her father knows every dark secret, and it will be foolish on my part to keep anything from her. "Bro, come in," Elliot says with a smirk. I expected him to keep me out but here he is…

"Christian." Ana breathes and before I can say a word she launches herself at me, her lips on mine. It takes me a split second to respond, but I do with all I'm worth. Every single cell in my body sings with delight. She wraps her legs around my waist, and I groan as I feel the heat from her core. Her tongue massages mine, furiously invading every crevice in my mouth. I pull away needing to breathe. "I've missed you so much…" she cries. "What took you so long?" You left my dad's ages ago." What. "He called after you left informing me he'd given you his approval to date me." He did more than that but if he didn't tell her I'm not. She finally climbs down my body, and I feel bereft. I turn to find my brother grinning like a loon as Kate smiles at us. The blonde next to her, on the other hand, is glaring furiously at me. If I had delayed any longer he'd be with her, I've just fucked up his plans.

"Bro, this is Ethan, Kate's brother." He turns his back to him and rolls his eyes.

"I'm going out." Ethan sneers staring at me not that I give a flying fuck. He storms out without another word.

"Would you like to go to mine?" I ask smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh, that would be great." She pulls me along to her bedroom. She shuts the door with a bang pushes me onto the bed and crawls on my lap being very careful to avoid my chest and back. Another thing I need to work on. Her lips are back on mine as she grinds on my cock. "Ana… fuck…"

"I want you." She moans into my mouth furiously pulling my belt off.

"I don't have any condoms." She leans over to the bedside drawer and pulls out a pack.

"Elliot." I nod, as it's the only explanation needed. She stands long enough to rid herself of her clothes and for me to put on the condoms before crawling back on my lap and slowly sinking down on my cock.

"Oh, good heavens." I moan loudly as she starts to bounce on my cock. This is going to be quick. I flip us onto her back and slam into her. "Baby, I won't last if I take this any easy."

"Don't, we have the rest of the wee…" That's all I needed to hear.

* * *

"Theo, cut it out." Phoebe bats his hands away, her eyes never leaving her phone.

"Pheebs, whatever you are doing on that phone better be done soon. You know how your grandfather feels about the use of phones." Ana warns.

"That's what I was trying to tell her… albeit in my own unique way." Teddy says with a chuckle.

"It's an entire week, and I can't use my phone except when I'm in my room." She moans.

"Then stay in your room." Teddy retorts knowing full well there's no way she can do that.

"It's going to be a long week." Ana moans. Yes, I managed not to fuck up my relationship with Ana. We got married three months after we got back together. I didn't think it was going to happen, to be honest, I had so much baggage to overcome, and somehow she was there with me every step of the way. Turns out she had challenged Ray about what happened at her graduation. He proved his point by playing the tapes from my sessions for her. I'm not going to lie it pissed me off but in the end, I had to admit it worked well as she had time to process it all and she still decided she wanted me if I was willing to give a normal relationship a go. Life has had very little hiccups, Hyde never woke up and since he had no family the hospital after a year turned his life support machine off. By this point evidence of his previous victims had come out and Ana was informed there would be no charges leveled against her long before he died.

"We are here." Teddy is nearly jumping out of his skin and is out of the car and running full pelt into the backyard. Ray's house is a teenager's playground. A year after Ana and I got married Ray bought the land behind his house for next to nothing as it was an overgrown… I can't really call it woodland. Worse it had attracted some nasty bacteria that had decimated the trees.

Ray cleared it all out with the help of some friends and Elliot and turned it into an adventure land. Think of the Swiss Family Robinson's home in the movie but on a large scale. Ray built an experience in the large oak trees he saved. It's acres of slides, homes in the trees and I mean homes, there are cabins that will make your jaw drop. There is heating, running water and electricity. The entire thing is up in the trees. Naturally modern technology is not allowed except at night when you are ensconced in your treetop home. As a carpenter, he couldn't have found a more impressive way to show off his skills and the entire thing is just for the family and of course the families of the men that helped build it.

"Bro."

"For once I was hoping you wouldn't be able to make it," I grumble. "You didn't bring Kavanagh, did you?" I ask looking around.

"He's the least of your problems." He says with a smug smile.

"Fuck, the photographer." You'd think those fuckers would be over Ana by now, but no fifteen years later the fuckers are still waiting for me to fuck up to swoop in. "Why can't they get married and leave my wife alone," I grumble. I'm glad Ana and I are staying in the house.

"Technically they are still in their thirties and have time. Take delight in the fact that that time is running out.

I head into the house and find Ana in the kitchen with her dad. Unfortunately, Kavanagh is here because he's family by marriage. Neither he nor Rodriguez have any kids or teenagers, so I question why they are here every time and always around my wife when they both live in Seattle. "Son, how are you?" Ray says clapping me on the back.

"I'm good, I see you've added a rope bridge to the setup," I say admiring the rather intricate design.

"Oh yes, I will be adding a bachelor's cabin for José and Ethan." It's a jab, and they don't miss it either. It doesn't help that Ana fails miserably in trying to hide her giggle.

"Come, baby, let's get settled," I say with a chuckle.

"Christian, I need you to promise me something?' I know what's coming, and I sigh and indulge her as usual.

"I promise, whatever it is."

"Do not engage Elliot in his dangerous ideas. You two are far too old to still be duking it out every summer. Keep it friendly and set a good example for the kids." We have a little friendly contest among us that always quickly descend into all-out war. Ray has several assault courses on the grounds and some tough ones among the cabins in the trees. Naturally my family, Roz's and security are on my side while Elliot has his family and his construction guys. Despite what Ana says she's desperate to beat Kate this year after she cheated last year. This year Sophie is home early from Harvard medical school so that gives my team an extra advantage.

"Of course, baby." The moment Elliot starts with the trash talk tomorrow, she will growl in my ear to crush him so I'm not worried. "Well, I'm to behave tomorrow then I think I need to get all the bad behavior out of my system. What do you recommend?" I purr.

"Could you be any more cheesy?" she giggles all the while unbuttoning my shirt. If this is what cheesy gets me then fuck yes.


End file.
